The Mississippi River town of Quincy, Illinois, was a major stop on the Underground Railroad as slaves attempted to make their way from Missouri to a free state.

Quincy’s role in the Underground Railroad – a network of often secretive locations used to help enslaved people escape to free states and Canada – is highlighted in the events that took place at the home of Dr. Richard Eells and his wife, Jane, during the mid-19th century.

It's cold and rainy today, but that hasn't deterred the University of Illinois Springfield faculty from the picket line. Tenured and tenure-track professors seeking a contract are in the third day of a strike. But there may be signs of progress.

The Illinois State Museum in Springfield is back up and running after its hiatus due to the state's budget woes. And there' s a new concert series to boot. Illinois musician and all around folk music connoisseur, Chris Vallillo, is hosting and playing at the events. They are the second Thursday of each month. For more information on the Music at the Museum concert series, click here. For info on the first show next week, click here.

Students are being told to continue reporting to class at the University of Illinois Springfield, despite the fact that the faculty is on strike. More than 160 tenured and tenure-track professors represented by University Professionals of Illinois have been negotiating almost two years in an effort to get personnel policies included in a contract.

I recently spent an evening at Springfield’s Dubois Elementary, with a group of tutors focused on helping the school’s youngest students — kindergarten through second grade.

But in this particular tutoring arrangement, everyone is learning. The older kids are in a program called Our American Voice, designed to bring civics lessons back to the younger grades. Students get an instructional course in citizenship, and then create their own community service project.

Much like the music she helps create, Jessica Knight is an artist who defies simple labeling. As vocalist, lyricist and bassist for the band Looming, she draws inspiration from a variety of source material. She came of age musically in the Southtown Springfield scene, centered around Black Sheep venue and a punk DIY ethos.

In April, 1865, there was a major tragedy in American history, but it’s not the one you think. Days after Abraham Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth, there was a disaster on the Mississippi River that killed more people than the Titanic sinking. However, news of it was dwarfed by Lincoln’s death. Yet he was tied to this event, too.

Tara McClellan McAndrew describes the disaster in this history story, courtesy of the Sangamon County Historical Society. Much of the information comes from Jerry Potter’s book, “The Sultana Tragedy.”

Progressive women's rights activists rallied in Springfield Tuesday. The organizers say over 100 groups were represented from across the state. Jennifer Camille Lee is co-president of Action Illinois and co-leader of a local group called Women Rising. She co-chaired the "Illinois Women March on Springfield" event.

Should the State of Illinois require public schools to teach students how to write in cursive? That question is at the center of a legislative measure generating more controversy than you might expect for a bill that doesn’t even involve money.

One of the few issues uniting Illinois lawmakers from both parties is the desire to revamp the way our state funds schools. That's because the current system has made Illinois schools the most inequitable in the country. A group of 20 lawmakers recently spent six months drafting a framework for a different plan. It would ensure that no school loses money, and all additional funds would be distributed through a new evidence-based model. A trio of commission members — two Democrats and a Republican — united behind one version of this plan. But last week, Republican Sen. Jason Barickman of Bloomington filed a significantly different version. He spoke with our education reporter, Dusty Rhodes, who began by asking him about how he would calculate the hold-harmless provision.

The Illinois Walk for Children is planned for May 20 in Springfield. The event raises funds for training child abuse prevention specialists and bring more awareness to a problem that often goes unreported.

Ususally, Roger Ebert's Film Festival aka Ebertfest honors a person. This year however, it chose to recognize Champaign county's Alliance for Inclusion and Respect. The organization helps fund mental health and disability organizations.

This week we have another conversation from Champaign, this time with a self-proclaimed townie who keeps himself more than busy when it comes to creative culture in the Champaign-Urbana area. As Seth Fein tells us in this interview, after a stint running The Accord venue, previously The Highdive, he'll be focusing on other projects, like the online magazine he co-founded, hyper-local "Smile Politely."

This week Scott and Rachel travel to Champaign where they meet Austin McCann, he's the general manager/programmer (or anti-programmer as he calls it) of the Art Theater Co-op which specializes in "community theater" in a 104-year-old building. Tune in to hear what they're all about!

Ever since the crisis in Flint, Michigan was publicized, concern over the presence of lead in water has reached a fever pitch. Law makers across the country have reacted with legislation addressing the issue in their home states. Illinois is one of them - a new law requires some public schools to test for it.

As rapid-fire change comes at the federal level, advocates want to keep Illinois' status as one of the leading states in offering protections.

Alex McCray didn’t want to believe Donald Trump had won the election. In the words of the transgender nursing student from downstate Sherman: “I was hoping it was all just one terrible nightmare. It felt like my rights were being ripped out right from underneath me.”

The Illinois criminal justice system has become increasingly reliant on fees. People convicted of crimes have become money makers for state and local government — paying for everything from prosecutors' offices to new police cars.

With multiple legislative proposals, a task force and a lawsuit all aimed at overhauling the way Illinois funds its schools, it’s hard to predict what might happen. But in this chat that aired on Tuesday, our Capitol Bureau reporter Brian Mackey makes me try.